The 2 best advanced cutting routines for men

10 min read
Las 2 mejores rutinas avanzadas de definición para hombres

What advanced cutting routines for men are like. 

Cutting, contrary to what people often think, is not about training more and eating less. It is about losing fat while maintaining as much muscle, strength and performance as possible. If you have a good strength base, having a good advanced cutting routine will allow you not to lose what you achieved during the bulking phase. You should prioritize effective volume, intensity and rest, both inside and outside the gym.

You will find advanced cutting routines that combine strength training with somewhat more metabolic workouts. On this blog, you will learn how to optimize your recovery, nutrition and the supplementation needed to maintain your muscle mass gains. The goal is to reach your goal leaner, stronger and with as much energy as possible. 

After all, your goal is not to weigh less, but to look better and perform as well as possible. To achieve this, we will examine what science has to say about all of this. 

Scientific foundations of advanced cutting training

When you reach an advanced level, training with the goal of defining does not mean doing more cardio or cutting calories further. It means maintaining the highest possible energy expenditure while aiming to maintain strength, preserve muscle mass and sustain a manageable calorie deficit. Current evidence shows that if you combine training, nutrition and rest correctly, you can achieve the best results.

Factors such as training volume, frequency, rest between sets and, of course, nutrition come into play here, because if there is no calorie deficit, you will not lose fat. 

Strength training

With regard to strength training, weekly volume remains the best predictor of hypertrophy. Performing between 10 and 20 sets per muscle group per week is sufficient to stimulate muscle hypertrophy without compromising recovery (Schoenfeld, 2017).  

Keep in mind that you do not necessarily need to perform between 10 and 20 sets per week for every muscle group. Some may respond adequately to a lower training volume, or you may simply have already developed them and they may not be as much of a priority.

Frequency alone does not guarantee better results, as it depends on other variables, but it helps distribute volume more effectively and train with greater quality (Schoenfeld, 2019; Grgic, 2018). In addition, observing rest periods of 2–3 minutes for particularly compound exercises maximizes strength and hypertrophy compared with very short rest periods (Schoenfeld, 2016).

Nutrition

Regarding nutrition, the key is to maintain a moderate calorie deficit that allows you to lose fat without sacrificing muscle. In this regard, protein could be considered the most important macronutrient; consuming between 1.6 and 2.2 g/kg/day ensures the preservation of lean mass even under conditions of a calorie deficit (Morton, 2018; Helms, 2014). In addition, research in athletes shows that losing weight more gradually, at around 0.5% per week, supports performance maintenance and reduces muscle loss (Garthe, 2011).  

This does not mean that your weight cannot drop faster during the first 2 weeks of cutting, by more than 0.5%, due to the loss of muscle glycogen and water. However, if this continues over time, the risk of losing muscle mass is higher.

Strategies such as “diet breaks” can help improve adherence to a calorie deficit and reduce psychological fatigue without slowing progress (Peos, 2021).

Cardiovascular Training

Regarding cardio, the choice depends on what suits you best and how much time you have available day to day. Both HIIT and continuous cardio (LISS) reduce fat similarly; however, the fatigue they generate differs, with HIIT causing more fatigue than LISS.

The important thing is to choose the option that allows you to be consistent (Guo, 2023; Kramer, 2023) and recover properly. Keep in mind that running may interfere with strength and muscle growth more than cycling, using an elliptical, or an air bike if it is not planned well. However, recent studies indicate that when organized logically, concurrent training (cardio + strength) does not interfere with muscle hypertrophy (Wilson, 2012; Schumann, 2022; Coffey, 2016).

To conclude this point, an advanced cutting routine should be based on these principles: sufficient training volume, adequate rest (not just during training—sleep is also very important), a well-managed calorie deficit, and a high protein intake. 

Cardio is a useful complement for creating a larger calorie deficit, not the focus of cutting. When we combine everything, we achieve what you are really looking for: reducing fat, maintaining muscle, and training with energy, without constantly feeling exhausted.

Best muscle-definition routines for men Moremuscle

The 2 Best Advanced Cutting Routines for Men

When the goal is to get defined without losing muscle, training should focus on hypertrophy. One of the best training structures is Push–Pull–Legs + Full Body, allowing you to work each muscle group twice a week with optimal volume and sufficient rest. With this training split, you will achieve an effective stimulus while distributing fatigue and maintaining performance even in a calorie deficit.

Let’s look at the weekly structure:

Day 1 – Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)

Day 2 – Pull (back, biceps, trapezius)

Day 3 – Rest + LISS cardio (20–40 min bike or treadmill)

Day 4 – Legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves)

Day 5 – Rest (active recovery or light walk)

Day 6 – Full Body (overall stimulus, frequency 2)

Day 7 – Rest + LISS cardio (20–30 min)

It is important to leave 24–48 hours between the leg session and the full-body session to prevent muscle overlap. 

Day Exercises
Day 1 – Push Flat barbell bench press 2×6–8
Incline dumbbell press 3×8–10
Machine military press 2×8–10
Cable triceps extension 3×10–12
Dumbbell lateral raises 3×12–15
Day 2 – Pull Conventional deadlift 2 ×5–6
Neutral-grip lat pulldown 3×6–8
Dorian row for upper back 3×8–10
Cable rear-delt raise 3×12–15
EZ-bar biceps curl 3×10–12
Day 4 – Legs Hack squat 2×6–8
Seated leg curl 3×10–15
Incline leg press 2 × 8–10
Leg extension 3×9–15
Machine calf raise 4×12–20
Day 6 – Full Body Hip thrust 2 ×6–8
Very incline Smith machine press 2 ×8–10
Underhand-grip pull-ups 3×5–8
Overhead triceps extension 3×12–17
Preacher curl 3×12–15
LISS cardio (rest days) Duration: 20–40 min
Type: Incline treadmill or stationary bike
Intensity: 60–70% HRmax 

Table 1. PPL-FB routine. Original work

This routine offers you a solid structure for maintaining muscle while cutting, but we know that not all bodies respond the same way. That is why you will have a second option that also provides a frequency of 2 and may be better suited if you are looking for a different stimulus or if it fits your daily availability better. 

Let’s look at the structure that combines strength days with days focused more on hypertrophy. It is designed for those who do not want to abandon the basic exercises or stop lifting heavy while cutting.

Day 1 – Upper-body strength

Day 2 – Lower-body strength

Day 3 – Rest + LISS cardio (20–30 min bike/treadmill)

Day 4 – Upper body focused on hypertrophy

Day 5 – Lower body focused on hypertrophy

Day 6 – Rest or LISS cardio (20–40 min bike/treadmill)

Day 7 – Complete rest

 

Day Exercises
Day 1 – Upper-body strength Barbell bench press 2 ×4–6
Seated military press with pins 2 ×4–6
Unilateral Gironda row 3 × 6–8
Weighted pull-ups 2 ×5–6
Dead curl 3×6–10
Day 2 – Lower-body strength Back squat 2×4–6
Conventional deadlift 2×4–6
Incline leg press 3×7–9
Lying leg curl 3×10–12
Machine calf raise 4×12–17
Day 4 – Upper-body hypertrophy Incline converging machine press 2×8–10
Pec deck 2×8–12
Lat pulldown 3×8–10
Low row 2×7–12Reverse flyes 3×12–18
Day 5 – Lower-body hypertrophy Hack squat 2×7–10
Seated leg curl 2×10–12
Bulgarian split squat 1×10–12 per leg
Leg extension 3×10–12
Machine hip adduction 4×10–15
LISS cardio  Duration: 20–40 min
Intensity: 60–70% HRmax.
Modality: incline treadmill or bicycle.

Table 2. Strength and hypertrophy routine. Prepared by the author

Supplementation for an advanced cutting phase

During an advanced cutting phase, supplements can help you maintain strength, energy, and muscle mass, while also making life easier, especially when time is limited. Below, you’ll find the most interesting supplements for a cutting phase:

  • Protein powder: convenient for meeting your daily intake and protecting lean mass (Jäger et al., 2017; Morton et al., 2018).
  • Creatine (1 g/10 kg): improves strength and performance even while dieting (Kreider et al., 2017).
  • Caffeine (2–6 mg/kg): increases energy, delays fatigue, and improves training intensity (Guest et al., 2021). Do not exceed 200 mg/day
  • Beta-alanine: may be useful during longer or high-intensity efforts (Ashtary-Larky et al., 2022). Especially if training volume is high.
  • Phenylcapsaicina: recent studies show that it increases energy expenditure and may enhance fat oxidation without the gastrointestinal effects typically associated with capsaicin (Sánchez-Delgado et al., 2022).
  • Green tea extract (EGCG): may slightly increase calorie expenditure and fat oxidation, although the effects are modest and depend on the dose and accompanying caffeine (Hursel et al., 2011).
  • Synephrine (Citrus aurantium extract): promotes an acute increase in metabolic rate and fat oxidation, with more potent effects when combined with caffeine (Ratamess et al., 2015).

Conclusion

Defining means training intelligently to avoid injury, continuing to lift heavy, and managing what you eat so you don’t lose muscle mass while lowering your body-fat percentage. The routines you’ve seen here give you a solid foundation for doing so: optimal, recoverable volume, appropriate frequency, and a balance between strength and hypertrophy.

It is important to stay consistent and not throw in the towel the first time things get difficult or go a little hungry. Train, rest, eat what you should, and use supplements to make this process easier. This way, you will look more defined and stronger, with enough energy to train properly and continue your daily activities. 

Best muscle-definition routines for men Moremuscle

References

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